


Universe In A Box

by outsideth3box



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: 100-1000 Words, Established Relationship, Humor, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-25
Updated: 2010-03-25
Packaged: 2017-10-08 07:57:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/74401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/outsideth3box/pseuds/outsideth3box
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They teach stealth in soldier school.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Universe In A Box

**Author's Note:**

> Click the link in the story  
> **Beta:** [](http://darkhavens.livejournal.com/profile)[**darkhavens**](http://darkhavens.livejournal.com/)  
> Wordcount: 787  
> disclaimer: not mine, no profit, no infringement intended.

****They teach stealth in soldier school. Fading silently into the background, slipping unseen through the shadows, flying, sleek and deadly, under the radar, that sort of thing. Lt. Colonel John Sheppard was hiding behind a potted plant. If Master Sergeant Garfield from boot camp could see him now, he would skip corrective discipline and just recycle John on the spot.

Think like a plant, think like a plant, be the plant, John chanted silently to himself, in his own personal, never-to-be-acknowledged Yoda voice, while trying to force the black box in his hands to be... less black, by the mighty power of his will alone. If Rodney looked up from his tablet, John was doomed. After all this work, if he got busted now, so close to his goal, he'd turn his sorry self in to Zelenka for a thorough gibbs-smacking.

After about five frozen minutes of watching McKay alternately poke grumpily at a panel on the wall and tap at his tablet, John was seriously beginning to wonder if camos and face paint would help his cause, but, finally, Rodney turned and walked away in the opposite direction and John fled, like the hardened veteran he was.

He'd wheeled and dealed, wheedled and begged to pull this off without any indication of his plan showing up in the computer system. At this point, John was fairly sure either Lorne or Zelenka actually owned the shirt he was wearing, along with his entire stash of Twizzlers and a weekend pass to M62-336, where women did not wear clothing that covered their breasts, in homage to the Goddess Ralnatha, The Nurturing Mother of All.

John would happily double it and add a week's slave labor if he could just make it to the cafeteria before Rodney turned up out of nowhere again.

Slinking around corners like a wannabe James Bond, trying not to jump at every science-blue jacket panel, John eventually made it to the, thankfully, Rodney-free mess hall. Filling his tray with whatever was easiest to grab, he settled himself at the team's usual table with a heartfelt sigh of relief and sat back to wait, black box secure at his feet.

By the time Rodney made it to the mess, piled his tray high with goodies and clunked his dinner down across from John, John couldn't stand the suspense any longer. He shoved Rodney's tray aside, ignoring his squawk of indignant protest, grabbed the box and deposited it on the table, heroically refraining from chewing his fingernail when Rodney frowned.

"I thought we weren't... I told you I didn't want to do the birthday thing. What is...?" Rodney read the lettering on the package. "['Universe-In-A-Box'](http://www.particlezoo.net/individual_pages/shop_universe-in-a-box.html)?"

Baffled was an unexpectedly adorable look on Rodney and John's chest clenched around a sudden, giddy warmth.

"Not a birthday present. See? No wrapping paper. It's a Rodney McKay Day gift." He waved a hand casually. "Completely different."

Rodney didn't appear to be quite sold yet, but he raised an eyebrow and deftly slid his fingers under the flaps, opened the box and stared. Picking up a small, colorful booklet, he read, lifting the little plush figures as he went.

"Particle Zoo? Up quark, down quark... tau-neutrino?"

At which point John grabbed the edge of his seat with one hand to prevent himself from actually bouncing like a third grader. He pointed with the other hand.

"And this set has the antiparticles, too, see? Antiproton, antineutron."

"You bought me...?" Rodney's voice was soft, matching the expression growing on his face.

John stood up and stepped around the corner of the table, sitting in the chair beside Rodney. Raising his arm, John wrapped it around Rodney's shoulders and squeezed.

"The universe in a box," he said, reaching his hand to cup Rodney's cheek, looking into his eyes and drawing in a deep, happy breath at the stunned pleasure he saw there.

John leaned slowly forward, tipping Rodney's head just so, and placed a gentle kiss against warm lips that quirked into a grin at the touch. Pulling back for just a second, he touched the side of his nose to Rodney's and rolled his lips back into contact, rubbing the back of Rodney's neck and brushing his thumb against his cheek.

The happy sigh from Rodney brought one from John in answer. Together they turned and started picking through the box of soft shapes, chuckling over the colors and forms chosen for each particle, and the amusing descriptions in the booklet.

Without looking up, Rodney stilled and asked quietly, "Rodney McKay Day, huh?"

"Yeah," said John. "It's my favorite. Not to be missed. Requires celebration."

"Requires?"

John leaned in again and pecked a kiss to the tip of Rodney's nose.

"Yeah. Requires."


End file.
